Shocked Scott to & # 039; brush it off & # 039;

by Justin Falconer at Royal Portrush

Adam Scott on day one of the 148th Open.

There was little drama about Adam Scott's opening round at the 148th Open, but a series of minor errors resulted in the worst tournament score of the Queenslander since the US Open last year

Scott & # 39; s 7-over-78 shock came as a surprise to many at Royal Portrush and is the 39-year-old poorest return since the first round at Shinnecock Hills last year.

But Australian World No. 16 was optimistic after its round, knowing that a few changes in luck on Thursday could have led to a very different score.

"I didn't really have anything on my path. And I put myself in trouble that I couldn't get out of, which was disappointing," Scott said.

"I feel like I'm playing well enough. A few things today that cost me at least five shots. I don't think there's much in it. It's the mistakes you can't make."

Scott started on the back foot after he needed two shots to escape a fairway on the second, before he couldn't find the green with his fourth.

But he responded brilliantly to a double bogeyman there with a bird from the green on the next hole.

"You have to stay out of the bunkers and if you are in it you have to get out. And twice today I left it in a bunker," Scott said.

"It is always easier said than done. But it was one of those days, every bunker that I was in was at the back of the bunker, and it was not as easy as removing it."

Scott found his rhythm shortly thereafter, but a quirky tee-shot on the par-5 7th sat down in a sandy waste area and the Queenslander could not parade for par.

His birdie-try on the next hole burned the edge before a disastrous short-distance par game on the 9th meant that Scott & # 39; s first nine in The Open would cost him three hits.

Bogeys at 13, 15 and 17 means that Scott has to drop on Friday to get in, but the Masters champ 2013 insisted that his best golf was not far away.

"I missed two short ones today [putts]. What's new? I also missed two short ones at the US Open," Scott said.

"It's more about putting myself in a very bad position, which costs me a lot of shots.

"There were no birdie opportunities unless you really had a great opportunity.

"I don't think I really have to work on something. I think I'm just going to brush this away and say that it was a tough day at the office and that I will be hard for it tomorrow.

Shane Lowry was the happiest man in the dining room at lunch, the Irishman made only one bogey on his way to a 4-under-67 that gave him the early Open lead.

American Webb Simpson climbed to 5-under at one point, but he dropped back as one of six players to draw a 68.

The biggest story of the morning was probably the biggest name this week, when the homeland hero Rory McIlroy opened his Open account with a fourfold bogey eight en route to an eight-over-79.

The Northern Irishman lost his first strike of the day beyond the boundaries to the left of the first fairway on the way to a disastrous start and the finish was not much nicer, McIlroy made triple-bogey 18 on an unforgettable day.